We all know that Concord is a pretty awesome place.
The people who come here for Market Days, the Black Ice Tournament and Rock On Fest do, too.
The passers-by who stop in for a bite to eat or stroll down the new and improved Main Street may catch a glimpse of it.
But who knew Concord was so well thought of on the national stage?
According to the third annual study conducted by SmartAsset, Concord ranks as the fourth-best U.S. capital city to live in for 2016.
Apparently SmartAsset ranked all 50 state capitals using factors like unemployment rate, violent crime rate and property crime rate. They also compared the cost of living in each city and access to fun and entertainment.
And we’re happy to report that Concord had the lowest unemployment rate in the study, with only 2.4 percent of its population actively looking for work between May 2015 and June 2016. We had the third-lowest violent crime rate, and the fourth-lowest property crime rate.
But we know what you’re thinking. That stuff is all well and good, yeah, we scored high, but where are the three that finished in front of us located? Who did we just edge out? What state came in last?
Well, our neighbor to the west, Montpelier, Vt., took home the top spot for a second straight year, followed by a place we’ve never been to, Pierre, S.D., and another we’d love to go to, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Bismarck, N.D., finished fifth, and Hartford, Conn., took home the final spot. And just as an FYI, Boston was 16th.
Last year, Concord was eighth, but made the jump into the top five. Good job, Concordians.
Check out the study results at smartasset.com/ mortgage/the-best-state-capitals-to-live-in-2016.
Insider staff
